Who are we? We have Better Experience to give you a better experience

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Meet Our Team

To provide better experience for you, we need to have better experience on our team. And that’s what we’ve got. We’ve spent years putting together subject-matter experts, thought leaders, the brightest minds and the hardest workers to give you a better experience that keeps getting better.

Leadership
Sales
Client services
Operations
Product
Engineering
Finance
Zack Dugow

Zack Dugow

Founder & CEO

Pierre-Antoine Durgeat

Pierre-Antoine Durgeat

ADventori CEO & CTO

Kevin Lange

Kevin Lange

SVP, General Manager

Troy Riso

Troy Riso

Senior Director of Engineering

Igor Svoroba

Igor Svoroba

Senior Director of Ad Operations

Deryck Wills

Deryck Wills

Head of Global Advertiser Sales

Joe Cohen

Joe Cohen

Director, Publisher Success

Sam Pelton

Sam Pelton

Director of People

Matthieu Puissant

Matthieu Puissant

General Manager

What Moves Us

“I’ve witnessed tremendous change in the technology of the media and advertising industry, and watched as those changes created friction and imbalance between brands, publishers, technology platforms, advertising vendors, multi-location businesses, users - everyone involved in the chain that links an advertiser to potential customers. From the founding of Insticator in 2012, through our many acquisitions, I’ve been driven by a mission to revolutionize the advertising experience for EVERYONE involved. I’m fortunate to have brought together an amazing team, one with the experience and innovative thinking required to change the status quo. We’re never done; we must respond to every change with new ideas; just watch where we go next.”

“I think technology, matched with the right people, can create a better experience, one that helps everyone perform better and connects audiences with the content that moves them into action.”

Zack Dugow

Our History

We set out to redefine how brands connect with audiences. From humble beginnings, we've grown into a trusted player in the adtech space—driven by data, powered by innovation, and focused on performance. Today, we continue to shape the future of advertising with smart solutions that deliver real results.

2012
Insticator Founded
by CEO Zack Dugow after watching Mad Men with friends.
Originally launched as a prediction platform for TV and sports outcomes, Insticator laid the foundation for what would become a global leader in publisher engagement and first-party data solutions.
2017
$5.2M Series A Funding
to accelerate its growth.
Same year, it’s named to the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies — a milestone that marks the start of sustained momentum.
2020
Squawk-It joins Insticator
A tech startup specializing in audience engagement.
This acquisition expands Insticator’s product suite into AI-supported commenting solutions, enriching publisher-audience interaction.
2021
Acquired OKO Digital
A UK-based SSP & web monetization specialist since 1996.
OKO brings deep ad ops expertise and is known for being the first UK company certified by Google as an AdSense Partner.
2023
Acquired Balihoo
Leader in franchise and multi-location marketing since 2008.
Balihoo’s automation platform and team of experts help scale campaigns across national and local levels.
2023
Launched Insticator Australia
Extending its global footprint and media attribution capabilities.
This launch follows the acquisition of a cutting-edge CTV attribution tool designed by growth marketers for BVOD/OTT and programmatic campaigns
2024
Launched BalihooTV
A new CTV advertising solution tailored for franchise networks.
This tool allows local operations to activate targeted CTV campaigns with enterprise-level precision.
2024
Launched COOL Comments
A full overhaul of its commenting platform.
Built from the ground up, it combines hybrid AI + human moderation, giving publishers a powerful tool to engage communities at scale.
2024
Rebrand Insticator Australia Division to COOL Media
Hinting at the broader transformation of the group into the COOL company.
The rebrand reflects a new chapter focused on unifying media, data, and creative capabilities.
2024
Acquired ADventori
A French leader in Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) since 2009.
Known for powering personalized ads for brands like Air France and DisneyLand Paris, ADventori brings cutting-edge creative tech to the COOL ecosystem — boosting innovation, global reach, and advancing the company’s vision of a fully integrated adtech powerhouse.
2024
Named to 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500
Ranking 314th among the fastest-growing companies in North America.
This marks our third appearance on the list — a testament to our continued momentum and our mission to transform the fragmented adtech landscape.
2025
COOL Media becomes new flagship brand of the COOL company
Bringing together the group’s five core specialties into a single, unified offering. Media & Attribution. DCO & Creative Automation. Franchise & Multi-Location. Publisher Experiences. Supply-Side Platform.
One ecosystem. One vision. One destination for better results, smarter campaigns, and exceptional performance.
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Industry
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